Battle Lines
by ShadowSilk
Summary: AU. Two friends. Two enemies. With the onset of a terrible war, a young soldier must see his best friend as his greatest adversary. Friendship. Oneshot.


**Author's Note**: I'm not quite sure which war this would take place in. I'm going to just say that it's a war in the late 19th century, early 20th.

**Pairings**: Sasuke x Naruto friendship. Could be taken as light SasuNaru if you want.

**Disclaimer**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning: **Dark story. I usually write humor-crack, but this is not it.

* * *

_I fight for honor_.

It was his mantra. As he aimed his rifle and fired, as he blindly crossed the smoky battlefield, as he heard the muffled shouts and cries barely penetrating the air around him, it was this mantra that resounded through his mind.

It was all that kept him going.

He might have lost his friends, his home, and his very sense of morality, but as he crawled through the carnage, his bayonet fixed, this holy line was the only possession he knew he could not lose.

There was a sudden burst of gunfire; a veil. A red veil. And beyond the veil was a familiar face. Blond wayward hair framed the soldier's wide, frightened eyes.

"No," whispered the blond boy, recognizing his victim. His rifle clattered to the ground as he scrambled forward. "_No_!"

_I fight for honor_.

* * *

"Glad you made it."

"Yeah."

Sasuke regarded him coolly. He leaned against the stone headstone, a faint smirk on his face. A small burlap bag sat in the grass beside him. He picked it up and nonchalantly tossed it over. It sailed in a graceful arc through the air.

"Catch."

Naruto just barely caught it, fumbling with the bag as it slipped off his fingers. Sasuke chuckled.

"Idiot."

Naruto shrugged it off. A smile spreading across his face, he unwound the twine holding the small sack closed and peered inside. "Coffee!" He looked up, beaming appreciatively. "Hey, thanks."

"We had extra. I'm sure none of those incompetent assholes will miss it."

The blond gave a short, bitter laugh. "Hate to say it Sasuke, but you're fighting for a bunch of low-lifes."

"I know."

It was silent. Overhead, the sky was a black canvas. Tiny bullet holes of light were scattered across its expanse. The moon was completely hidden behind a film of clouds, leaving a pitch-black rent in the corner of the sky.

"Why did you join them?" Naruto asked suddenly as pulled his tattered coat tightly around his shoulders.

Sasuke's voice was steely. "Why do you want to know?"

"I already know you live on their side of the boundary." His eyes were bright in the falling darkness. "But what they stand for…Why would you join them?"

"It's my home," the Uchiha replied shortly. He smirked, tapping his forehead with one finger. "Honor, you know? My name."

The blond tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

* * *

"How was the coffee?"

Naruto laughed. "Great. Helped get the hardtack down."

Sasuke grimaced at the thought of the nearly inedible food.

"You know what I'm going to do when this war's over?" the blond asked, placing his hands behind his head. He leaned back into the golden leaves piled atop the ground.

"What?"

Naruto grinned. "I'm going to use all of my wages to buy a real hot meal."

Sasuke shook his head. "You're going to buy ramen, aren't you?"

The blond laughed. "Of course."

"You're such an idiot."

"How about you? What'll you do?"

"…I'm going to buy a book."

"A book?"

"Yeah." Sasuke paused. He was bitter. "Once this war's over, I'm going to need something to keep me from going insane."

* * *

After the meeting in that desolate graveyard, Naruto slowly made his way back to the campsite, dragging his feet through the scattered leaves. They were kicked up into the air; small red and gold explosions muted in the night. Like gunfire.

_Gunfire_.

Blood.

Naruto lurched forward, falling to his knees. His head was throbbing, but he didn't know why.

He took slow steady breaths, trying to calm himself down. Naruto turned his head in the direction of the graveyard, about to call for Sasuke's help. After all, it had only been a minute or so. Sasuke always insisted on staying back for a few minutes after their meetings. Probably to savor his last moments of freedom before returning to his regiment.

Naruto blinked, startled.

His friend was gone.

Disappeared.

* * *

"Isn't it pointless?"

What are you talking about?"

"Fighting."

Sasuke sat back, one arm dangling over the cold headstone. "It depends what you're fighting for."

"What are _you_ fighting for?"

"I've already told you."

"Honor?"

"Hn."

"You're lying. That can't be the only thing."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "What's with this, all of a sudden?"

"Just curious. So what are you fighting for?"

There was an irritated sigh. "Honor. Glory. Fighting for my homeland. To get stronger." Sasuke shot him a weary look. "There. Satisfied?"

"So you're willing to die for that?"

The black-haired boy was silent as he mulled it over. He examined the loose button on the cuff of his jacket.

"…Hn."

* * *

"Hey."

It was a bitterly cold day; the snow had yet to arrive. Instead, howling winds cut through everything in their path, ravaging any vestige of warmth risking occupation outside. Sasuke was in his usual sport, leaning against a headstone, sitting cross-legged. The stone tablets cut off the wind, providing a small shelter from its icy scythe.

Naruto spotted his friend. Bare feet pounded over the frozen ground. He collapsed against a headstone opposite Sasuke.

"It's cold, isn't it?" Naruto remarked. He pulled the worn sleeves of his overcoat over his hands. They were numb.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "No shoes?"

The blond laughed. It was a full laugh, jollity hiding its mirthless center. "No. They have a shortage, if you can believe it." "He shook his head doubtfully. "How does the general think we'll be able to fight in the dead of winter without shoes?"

Sasuke frowned. "Still drilling?"

"Yeah."

Sasuke blew into his hands, rubbed them together in an effort to stay warm. "So are we. I doubt we'll see the battlefield until next spring."

Naruto was somber. "What if…what if you guys fight us?"

The raven-haired boy looked smug.

"Then you'd better watch out."

* * *

"Hello? Naruto? Snap out of it, man."

Naruto jumped, startled. Kiba, a fellow soldier who shared his tent, was leaning over the table, waving his hand in front of his face.

"Oh...sorry, Kiba. What did you want?"

The scruffy young man gave him a quizzical look.

"You've been really out of it, man," Kiba said. "Ever since that battle with the rebs, the one where our general was shot—"

Naruto's heart rate quickened, thumping in his chest. It burned.

"Sorry Kiba," Naruto interrupted quickly, standing up. He was unsteady. "I have to go somewhere."

Kiba watched as the blond-haired man stumbled away. Frantic.

He shook his head.

"What's wrong with him?"

* * *

"Naruto. What are you fighting for?"

Naruto looked off into the distance. Clouds in muted color were smeared over the sun, leaving the sky dreary.

"I don't really know."

"Then why were you so intent on asking me a couple weeks ago?"

"I just—"

"You just what? Wanted to be annoying?"

"—wanted to know why you joined the enemy."

"Enemy? Your side is my enemy. You're my enemy. I'll probably be hanged if they catch me talking to you."

"Same here. Funny how that works out."

"Hn?"

"We're best friends and we're supposed to kill each other."

"It's a war."

"You could have moved across the border and joined my side."

"And how would you prove yourself?"

"Prove myself?"

"By defeating me."

"But—"

"Naruto," Sasuke said exasperatedly. "That's why you're fighting."

"Sasuke—"

Sasuke chuckled, low and patronizingly. "Listen, Naruto. You might try to hide it, but you're just as selfish as I am."

* * *

After several weeks of anticipation, fat snowflakes fell from the misted sky, grazing the cracked earth. But it wasn't forgiving. As they muted everything upon contact, a certain stillness, a yearning of waiting, was stretched thin over the barren landscape.

"Remember the creek? Where we made that raft when we were younger?"

Sasuke looked distant. "Yeah, I remember."

Naruto wistfully looked up at the sky. It was smeared gray. "Remember all our friends?" He frowned. "What do you think happened to them?"

Sasuke pulled a loose thread from his sleeve. "They probably left when the fighting broke out."

"Maybe some of them got drafted."

"Probably."

"I hope not."

It was silent all around the graveyard. Nothing stirred.

"My division's going to battle next week."

Naruto looked at Sasuke. His friend's face was gaunt, as if he hadn't eaten well for weeks.

"Really?" Naruto managed to say. "Well, I guess you'll see some action, then."

His friend raised an eyebrow. "Are you worried about me?"

"No," Naruto said. He grinned. "You're coming back, aren't you?"

Sasuke looked somber. "Of course." He got up, shaking snow from his jacket. "I'll be sure to take out a big chunk of men from your side, too," he added.

Naruto laughed. "You wish."

* * *

Days turned to weeks, which turned to months. As things fell into bleak monotony, Naruto found himself growing restless. Snow soon sank into the earth, color returned to the countryside. And Sasuke still hadn't come back. Naruto found himself slipping to the graveyard every evening.

Just to check.

Naruto's division was to remain at their base for a few more months. The general still very adamant, insisting that they train just a little bit more. Naruto knew the man was just a coward.

Warm air, relief on his skin. After three months of bitter cold, the slight warmth was fervently welcome. As he found their meeting spot, Naruto shrugged off his rough jacket and sat down.

He was alerted by a sudden rustling sound. With a start, Naruto realized that someone was coming over.

It was a boy with unkempt black hair, which fell into his eyes. He wore a faded gray overcoat, frayed and tattered at the edges. A pair of beaten boots were tied together by the laces, looped over his arm.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Sasuke…!"

The boy was startled. "Naruto?"

Sasuke stumbled over, leaned against his headstone. The familiarity of it all made Naruto break out into a relieved grin.

"Sasuke! You're back! How was it?"

His friend ignored the question. He picked up the old pair of boots, tossed it forward.

"Catch."

Naruto snatched it from the air. Stared.

"Thanks, Sasuke," he said incredulously. I really needed this."

"I took them off a dead body."

Naruto was in the middle of tugging one boot on. He looked up. "What?"

Sasuke was staring at him intently with haunted eyes. His voice was somber.

"Listen, Naruto. You've got to run. You have to get out of here—"

"_NARUTO_!" a gruff voice barked. "You'd better be here. You're in a lot of trouble, boy."

The blond jumped. It was his unit's lieutenant, Iruka, stamping through the moist ground and moving towards them.

"Iruka!" he gasped. "I'm…I…" He was frantic. He was speaking with the enemy.

Sasuke. His best friend. His enemy.

_I'll probably be hanged if they catch me talking to you_.

The lieutenant crossed his arms, eyes cold. "What do you think you're doing?"

"It's my fault," Naruto said pleaded. "It's not Sasuke's. Punish _me_."

"Sasuke Uchiha? You mean that reb boy who fought at the creek battle? The one who killed one of our generals?"

"_What_? No, he's right he—"

"Naruto," Iruka said seriously, "that boy died. Nearly a year ago. After Uchiha killed him, our forces captured him and—"

"No!" Naruto shouted, tightening his fists. The air was suffocating him; Naruto felt his head swim. "He's right here!"

"_Listen_,_ boy_. There's no one here."

A cool wind ruffled the grass, pushing the green blades against a gray headstone.

It was Sasuke's.

* * *

**A/N**: My little psycho-philosophy-fic experiment. :3

I was trying to create a story in which Naruto is so distraught over his best friend's death, he begins to have hallucinations of Sasuke. And he's trying to cope with the whole matter and sort it out in his mind, by "talking" with Sasuke, who is at this point a figment of his imagination.

Also, Naruto was in the battle where Sasuke was shot. He's still shocked over having his best friend drafted to the enemy side of the war and being killed, and that's ravaging his mind.

Anyway, this is very different from anything I've written before…I hope it was alright. Considering I like Sasuke, the ending was especially hard to write.

Is there anything I can do to the story to make it better? Any suggestions? Feedback would be very much appreciated!

Thank you for reading!


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